Love Like Woe
by allietheepic7
Summary: It was a perfectly normal heist...except for the gem turning into a baby. That was a bit weird, but when you go to school with a homicidal witch or just recovered from being shrunken by a mysterious poison, you start to take these things in stride. Kaishin. For Shana-Fujioka, in response to her prompt. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Love Like Woe**

 **A Kaishin Fanfiction by Allietheepic7**

 **Chapter 1**

It was supposed to be a normal heist.

Nakamori was yelling, the task force was incompetent as usual, Kaito got the gem—not Pandora—and then he was to escape from the roof in a majestic fashion to wow his fans chanting below. The only difference was that Meitantei had watched, fresh from his time as Tantei-kun and capturing the Black Organization. He had stayed out of the heist itself, which Kaito chalked up to him still being weak from transforming into an adult. In retrospect, Kaito should have known that was wrong.

When Kaito climbed up to the roof, Shinichi was waiting for him. Kaito hid his surprise and greeted the detective. "Meitantei! And here I was thinking that you weren't going to join in the fun!"

"I'm not here to capture you, KID."

"Oh? That's new."

Meitantei sighed and his shoulders sagged. "I wanted to thank you. You stole the information about APTX 4869 so I could get my body back. You're the reason why I'm back. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Kaito looked out over the city with his back to the detective, hoping Shinichi didn't see his blush. He had stolen the information on impulse after seeing two suspicious men at one of his heists. When he had discovered what the flash drive had contained, how could he have kept the knowledge to himself? "You're welcome, Meitantei, but there is no need for thanks."

"I am still in your debt, however." Kaito gazed at Shinichi from over his shoulder. "I wish to help you."

He smirked. "Something tells me you wouldn't be comfortable working on the wrong side of the law, Meitantei. The sentiment is appreciated though."

"You're looking for a jewel." Kaito didn't answer. "You're always returning the ones you steal with a note saying "this is not the gem I'm looking for." Plus, whenever you steal a jewel, you hold it up to the moonlight. So, whatever you're looking for reacts in some way to the moon."

Kaito faked a laugh and clapped while his eyes scanned the nearby rooftops, searching desperately for any sign that they were alone and not being watched. Though Meitantei may have destroyed the Black Organization, he didn't capture Snake and his men, who were part of a different group. He had never thought that Tokyo was big enough for _2_ evil organizations, but apparently it was. "Impressive deductions as usual, Meitantei. What else can you figure out?"

Kaito was expecting something obvious, like how he was really the second Kaitou KID or something (seriously, how has no one figured that out yet!? It was pretty obvious!). However, he wasn't expecting, "The jewel you're looking for glows."

Frozen in place, Kaito's mind raced. How in the world did Shinichi come to that conclusion!? It wasn't a rational one, nothing Kaito had said or done ever gave any indication that the gem he was looking for, Pandora, would glow in the moonlight. It would make more sense if he assumed that it just changed color. No one knew that it glowed, except…

A hand wrapped around his card gun. No, no Meitantei wasn't with Snake; he wouldn't care about the man's frantic search for immortality. Besides, Shinichi was good. He'd never be on the same side as murderers.

But was this really Meitantei? This could be an imposter, an actor replacing him to trick information out of Kaito. The real Meitantei could be dead and buried already, or worse, kidnapped and being tortured by Snake. His stomach turned at the thought of Shinichi, still so weak or maybe even still as Conan, screaming and crying as they did despicable things to him.

"How could you possibly know that?" Kaito whispered, his back still towards the potential enemy as he readied himself for a fight.

"Turn and see."

He did so and a red glow washed over his face. Held up to the moonlight was a blue jewel the size of a golf ball. At least, Kaito thought it was blue; it was hard to tell when the red glow coming from the center of it was staining the gem purple. Kaito couldn't take his eyes from it.

This was it. This was…Pandora. "How…?"

Shinichi smiled and the red light faded as he held it out to Kaito. "The old KID gave it to my father to protect many years ago. He said it would be disastrous if certain people got their hands on it. Dad didn't understand at the time, but when the old KID disappeared, and then you showed up, we finally understood… You're trying to find the people who killed him, aren't you? So you can't be one of the people we were warned about. You disserve to have it, KID."

A hysterical laugh bubbled up from Kaito's lips. All this time… After all this time, his father's final magic trick has finally come to light. It was even better than when Dad had revealed Kaitou KID to him 8 years after his death. He hid the ultimate secret with the people least likely to be considered, so unlikely that even his mom or Jii wouldn't have thought of it.

Hesitantly, Kaito took off his gloves and reached for Pandora. He wanted to touch it with his own hands, as irrational as it was. Then again, no one could claim that KID could be considered rational…

His hand closed over the gem, brushing Shinichi's. Meitantei tried to take his hand back, but couldn't. His hand stuck to the jewel and the jewel to Kaito. Shinichi looked at him, annoyed. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!"  
Pandora began to glow, white light filtering through their fingers. The wind swirled ominously around them. Trying to unstick his hand, Kaito yanked hard enough to pull Shinichi off his feet and against Kaito's chest. Shinichi's blushing face looked up at him for a moment, unhindered from his hat's shadow at such close distance, before Pandora exploded.

The two were thrown back by the force of the explosion, neither thankfully falling off the roof. Kaito groaned. Rubbing his head, he stared at his unharmed hand. He looked across the roof to check on Shinichi, but something far more prominent now occupied the space they'd been ejected from.

"Is that…a baby?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Shinichi stared at the baby that had mysteriously appeared on the roof. His brain automatically catalogued details, like how the child was approximately 6 months old, naked, and male. Shinichi stood up and crept towards the baby as if he would explode. He noticed more details as he got closer, like the light brown, messy hair and watery blue eyes. As Shinichi stripped off his jacket, those begging eyes looked up at him and tiny hands reached to be picked up. A whimper was heard.

He wrapped the jacket around the baby and picked him up, holding him like glass. The baby buried his head into Shinichi's neck, sucking on a fist for comfort. Shinichi stroked the child's head to sooth him as he glared at KID. "What did you do?"

KID broke out of his shock. "I didn't do anything!"

"Bullshit!" The baby let out a small wail and Shinichi shushed him, rocking back and forth while rubbing his back. A white-gloved hand ran through the baby's hair and Shinichi glanced up to see that the thief had crossed the roof to them. KID's poker face had shattered on the way over, leaving a surprising look of awe.

"He…looks just like us."

With a jolt, Shinichi realized that KID was right. How had he missed that!? The baby was like a mix of them both, with Shinichi's eyes and KID's hairs. He even had similar facial features (while both men were quite alike, there were differences. The baby had KID's wider chin, but Shinichi's long eyelashes and maybe his nose.). There was no sign of contacts, a face mask, or even _hair dye._ "How in the world…"

"Magic, Meitantei."

Shinichi glared at the nickname. "Magic doesn't exist, KID.  
"You just witnessed a gem turn into our baby. You can't exactly say that anymore."

His breath caught. Their…baby. They had a baby. A magical baby, apparently, if this wasn't some horrible prank of KID's, but still a baby. Shinichi had given up on the idea of a family of his own during Conan, when Ran gave up on waiting for him. But now…

He looked at KID, who was standing close to them. Shinichi blushed. It was almost like they were a couple… "Would you like to hold him?" Shinichi asked.

If KID was surprised by his offer, he didn't show it. Shinichi passed the baby into KID's arms. KID looked at the child as though he was more precious than any jewel. He swatted a chubby arm at KID's clover charm and gurgled happily. "He's so small…" KID murmured, shifting the baby in his arms.

Shinichi ran a hand through his hair. "How did this even happen? I thought Pandora was supposed to grant immortality, not…"

"I don't know," KID said. "I can ask around; I happen to know a witch—"

"KID!" Nakamori's yell and the banging on the door leading inside the building reminded the two where they were.

"Go!" Shinichi demanded.

"But the baby—"

"How would I explain to the Task Force where I got a baby? Take him to my house, I'll be there soon."

KID nodded. "Okay. Good luck Meitantei."

When Nakamori broke the door open, he found Shinichi standing alone and KID flying off into the distance.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"You're supposed to be evil, you know that?"

The napping baby on Kaito's chest paid little attention to him. Kaito continued. "If Pandora actually did something other than glow, it was supposed to be something awful so I wouldn't feel bad about destroying it. I can't destroy you! You're cute. And squishy." He poked the baby's cheek to prove his point.

He sighed and stretched out more on the couch in Meitantei's library. What was taking Shinichi so long? Surely the stuff after one of his heists didn't take so long, right? Kaito had been led to believe that most of it was done the morning after and only by Nakamori-Keibu. What if someone had heard them talking and thought Shinichi was his accomplice? He pressed his mouth into a grim line. If that had happened, then the Task Force would have more to worry about than hair dye and booby-traps.

The sound of the front door opening reached his ears and so did a hesitant "KID?"

Kaito spoke loudly, though not enough to wake the baby. "In the library, Tantei-kun."

Soon, Shinichi appeared in the library doorway…carrying several plastic bags. Shinichi noticed his curious look. "I stopped at one of those all night superstores for supplies. He can't exactly stay wrapped up in my jacket forever, can he?"

"That was a good idea. Did you get any baby formula?"

"Yes," he said, dropping the bags on the floor to rummage around in them. "And diapers, and some onesies, and even a little bit of baby food. I think he's about 6 months old and when I told the lady on duty, she told me that this is the usual time to start children on solid foods."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "My goodness, Meitantei. Did you learn something new today? I thought you knew everything."

Shinichi blushed and glared. He threw something in Kaito's face. "Just for that, you get diaper duty. There's baby powder in one of the bags." He stormed out of the room, a bottle of formula in one hand.

Kaito chuckled. "Okay, little guy. Let's try to get through this without peeing on me, huh?"

It took some time and effort, but Kaito managed to get the diaper on the baby without being peed on and without getting them both covered with baby powder. Unfortunately, the baby woke up in a rather unpleasant mood. Kaito picked him up despite his wailing and rocked him back and forth, cooing all the while. "It's okay, little Pan-chan. I'm sorry I woke you, please stop crying now…" With a flick of the wrist, a pink little bunny appeared in Kaito's hand. The baby stared in shock. "Look! It's an Usa-chan! Would you like to play with the Usa-chan, Pan-chan?" Pan-chan gurgled happily and reached for the bunny, which Kaito let him leave.

"We're not naming him Pan-chan," Shinichi said from the hall. "Not only will he be bullied for the rest of his life, but don't you think that it would be a good giveaway to anyone still looking for Pandora?"

"Yes, because people are definitely going to look at a baby and say "That child must be a magical jewel."" Kaito snarked back. "It's not like you're any better at naming things, _Conan_."

"If you're so good at it, go find a baby name book. There's one around here somewhere. I'll feed the baby."

Kaito handed over the responsibility in order to look for the before-mentioned book. After finding more detective novels then he'd ever wanted to see, he finally found what he was looking for. The only problem was that neither Shinichi nor Kaito could agree on a name ("We can't name him Sherlock! The other thieves would mock him!" "He is _not_ going to be a thief! Plus, you wanted to name him Lupin!" "Lupin is a strong, masculine name!" "Really? I thought he was an ass." "Shin-chan! Watch your language around him!"). Finally, Kaito made a suggestion. "What about Rei?"

"I…actually, that one's not too bad."

"With the kanji for _lucky one_."

Shinichi sighed and looked up from the baby, who was trying to pull Shinichi's hair. Kaito thought it looked adorable. "If he is actually a combination of our genetics and doesn't just look like us, we might as well. With my luck and your inability to refrain from taunting the police, he'll need all the help he can get."

Kaito laughed and stole little Rei-chan from Shinichi's arms. "Did you hear that, Rei-chan!? Mommy thinks you grow up to be just like Daddy!"

"I am not the mother in this situation!"

Rei-chan cooed happily and reached up to try to grab Kaito's monocle. "Mommy's very grumpy, right Rei-chan?" Kaito took off his eyepiece and gave it to the baby who immediately put it in his mouth. "See, Shin-chan? He already wants to be the next Kaitou KID—what are you doing?"

Shinichi was deliberately looking away from him. "Nothing. What are we going to do with Rei though? He doesn't have a birth certificate and without that, he can't go to a hospital or school. And we have no idea how a gem turned into a baby!"

Putting his now slobbered-on monocle back in place, Kaito handed Rei to Shinichi. "I can deal with the birth certificate thing. You could pass him off as a child you adopted or even as the child of a one night stand you had while you were missing."

"Ran would kill me. And several people know who I was during that time. So the actual son thing isn't an option."

"Okay," Kaito agreed. "So we pass him off as adopted. Tomorrow I'll talk to an…acquaintance of mine who knows a lot about magic." He grimaced; who knows what Akako will make him do for information.

"Your witch, I assume. Are they…trustworthy?"

"On occasion. Sometimes she helps me; sometimes she tries to kill me. But she won't do anything in public, so I'll be safe." Kaito pressed a kiss to Rei's head, then stared into Shinichi's pretty, blue eyes. "Be careful."

"I will."

"I'm serious, Meitantei. Don't go out. The police can live without you for one day. Just…wait for me to come back."

Shinichi scowled. "I can take care of myself."

"I know. But you disappeared once by being reckless. Please don't do that to me." And with a flash of light, Kaito disappeared.

"…Showoff. Don't grow up to be like him, Rei-chan."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Everything was fine for the first few hours after KID's departure. Rei slept until 6 am in Shinichi's bed with pillows piled up all around him as a makeshift crib while Shinichi used a futon on the floor. But despite the late hour, Shinichi found it difficult to sleep. Thoughts whirled around the detective's confused mind. Ignoring the fact this whole situation was _very much impossible_ —yes he was ignoring how Rei was born until he could actually explain it—he still had other things to focus on. Like explaining Rei to Ran and Hattori, or getting baby furniture for Rei, or getting KID's phone number because damn it, if they were going to co-parent, he needed some way to contact him.

He had just about drifted to sleep when a horrifying realization dawned on him. He was taking care of a small person and he had _no idea how to do so._ What if Rei fell out of bed!? What if he had some kind of allergic reaction to something!? He didn't know any of this stuff.

And that's how Shinichi stayed up reading about babies until sunup.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Geeze, why were babies so complicated!? He could barely take care of himself, let alone a small, growing human.

Rustling from the bed alerted him to the fact that Rei was waking up, so he put away his computer and sat on the side of the bed. Rei let out a little yawn, his face scrunching up before his eyes blinked open sleepily. Shinichi smiled down at him. "Hey, little guy. Let's go get you breakfast and check your diaper, okay?"

Rei whined, but otherwise stayed quiet as Shinichi took him to the kitchen and prepared his bottle. After drinking most of it and eating a spoonful of applesauce, but during the diaper change (how did KID manage to do this!? And why was Rei so squirmy!?), when the phone rang.

With one hand keeping Rei still, he used the other to check the caller-id. It was Inspector Maguire. Shinichi bit his lip. KID said not to pick up the phone…but he should at least tell Maguire that he couldn't come in today, just so no one would worry… The police force had become extremely over protective since he returned from being Conan (it didn't help that Hattori let slip that he had been poisoned. Fortunately, everyone thought it had forced him into a hospital, not into the body of a 7 year old).

Making up his mind, Shinichi picked up the phone.

"Ah, Kudo-kun! There's been a murder—"

"I'm sorry, Keibu, but I can't come in today," Shinichi said as he threw away the dirty diaper.

"Oh? That's a first. We usually have to force you to take vacations. Did something happen?"

"Yeah…There's been a bit of a family emergency, so I won't be able to help out for a while—Oil! Stop peeing on me!"

Rei gurgled happily.

"Er, Kudo-kun…"

"I'm sorry, Keibu, I have to go!" Shinichi slammed down the phone and gazed distraughtly at his ruined shirt. Well, at least it had been dirty to begin with. He glared playfully at Rei. "You're as bad as KID is."

Rei giggled.

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you? Well, how about this!" Lunging forward, Shinichi blew a raspberry on Rei's stomach. He squealed in joy, little legs kicking. One caught Shinichi in the cheek. "Ow!" He reared back. "You've got a really strong kick…"

Once they were both clean and dressed, Shinichi carried Rei into the living room. Rei began looking around, whimpers escaping from his mouth. "Rei?" Shinichi hitched Rei up higher on his hip. "Rei? What's wrong?"

Slowly, big globs of tears dripping down his face as he began to sob.

For the next _6 hours_.

 **A/N: To everyone questioning why Kaito and especially Shinichi being to open to Rei's general existence, I do have an explanation for that. Just wait for a few chapters and I'll explain.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

While Shinichi was taking care of their little bundle of joy, Kaito was stalking Akako at the pool.

It wasn't like he _wanted_ to be there! He would have preferred to avoid the witch this summer for his own safety and spend the day with Shin-chan and Rei-chan (and didn't that say how much he disliked Akako that he'd rather spend the day with a _detective_ than talk to her!), but he had no other choice. It's not like he knew any other witches who could explain how a rock turned into a baby.

He'd promised Shinichi he'd try to find out.

Kaito had visited Jii earlier today to figure out how to get Shinichi legal custody of a baby who didn't technically exist. After learning that the old man was his dad's assistant, a helicopter pilot, and an incredibly skilled pool player, Kaito wasn't really surprised when Jii confessed to also being a social worker on the side. Ignoring exactly _why_ Jii was a social worker, they had created official papers for the adoption of Rei Edogawa by his older cousin, Shinichi Kudo. All it needed was Shinichi's signature and no one would be able to tell it was fake.

Finally standing up, Kaito walked out of the brush towards the crowd of men surrounding Akako. He had to fight in order to get to the center of the huddle since the crowd was so thick. Once he had finally made it to Akako, Kaito was sporting some new bruises in uncomfortable places from her "fans."

Akako's red eyes landed on him. They lit up in surprise before a smug smile stretched across her face. Kaito suppressed a shudder. "Kuroba-kun." Her voice was low, in an attempt at seduction. "It's…good to see you again. Is there any particular reason why you've sought me out today?"

"Yeah," he said, glancing at Akako's fanboys. They glared back, pissed that their goddess' attention was taken from them. "You mind getting rid of your cult for a minute? We need to talk."

Shrugging, Akako shooed the men away, much to their despair. She eyed him, smile still on her face. "You must be truly desperate to be coming to me."

Kaito scowled, but didn't deny her words. "Akako…hypothetically speaking…are there any gems with "magical" properties?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Hypothetically speaking? Yes. All jewels have their own magical properties if used the correct way. But that's not what you were hoping to hear, obviously."

"Obviously," he repeated in a deadpan tone.

"There are gems that can cure and give illnesses, some that bring luck, some that take it away. An example being the Hope Diamond, its curse having tortured and killed many of its owners…what exactly are you looking for?"

"Well…" Kaito trailed off, scanning the area around for eavesdroppers. He continued in a quiet voice, barely loud enough for Akako to hear. "The gem is called Pandora…it's a doublet that glows in the moonlight…"

"Pandora…" she tasted the word, letting it linger in the air. "I can't say that I've heard of it, but doublets are extremely powerful. Do you know what it does?"

His eyes darted around. He really didn't want to tell her, at least not here, where anyone could be watching. "I really can't say."

Fortunately, Akako seemed to pick up on the reason for his reluctance because she nodded solemnly. "Yes, this isn't the best place to discuss such delicate matters."

"What do you have in mind?" Kaito asked, grateful for her discrepancy. Ever since Akako proved that she had no problems talking about his identity in public, they had come to an agreement. Kaito would listen to her creepy prophecies as long as she didn't mention KID in public.

"I'll appraise this…item of yours…for a fee, of course."

Kaito sighed. He had expected that. "What do you want?"

"A kiss."

"Hell no!" Kaito stepped back, away from the deranged woman. "How do I know that you won't put me under some love spell if I let you kiss me?"

Akako chortled, grabbing the attention of every man within hearing distance. "Kuroba-kun, if I could force you to love me through a kiss, don't you think I would have done it by now?" she asked, then held out a hand. "Do we have a deal?"

He eyed her hand suspiciously before taking it. It was the best deal he was going to get out of her. "I better not regret this," he grumbled.

She smirked. "You won't."

Somehow, that didn't reassure Kaito.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Shinichi peeled an eye open at the sound of an excited squeal. He felt like crap. After Rei had given his best impression of a fire alarm for several hours, the baby fell into a restless sleep, with Shinichi—who hadn't slept in 36 hours—following soon afterwards. Now it seemed to be midafternoon, if his Shinichi's internal clock was correct.

Turning his head, Shinichi stared incomprehensively at the sight of KID holding a very happy, not-crying Rei. His eye twitched. Oh, so if it was just Shinichi, he'd cry, but he adored KID, didn't he? KID glanced up from the gurgling baby and a genuine smile spread across his face. "Tantei-kun! You're awake!"

"Obviously," Shinichi drawled, swinging his legs off the couch and stumbling to his feet. Nothing else KID said processed until Shinichi downed half a mug of black coffee. With the cup warming his hands, Shinichi eyed KID, who seemed to be waiting for an answer. "…I'm sorry, what did you say?"

KID sweat-dropped before quickly recovering. "Not very attentive today, are you Tantei-kun?"

Shinichi glared. "I only got a few hours of sleep. _Your_ son wouldn't stop crying once he realized you were gone." Shinichi brushed passed the thief to the library.

"Oi, he's your son too!"

Panic bubbled up in Shinichi's chest and he ran a hand through his hair. A son. _His_ son. God, that was so messed up! He was 18; he's only kissed someone before! He wasn't ready to be a father; he wasn't ready to raise a baby, especially not a magical rock baby with an internationally wanted thief!

He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. He just…needed to take things one step at a time. That's right. Just one thing at a time. "Now, what were you telling me, KID?"

"I've got adoption papers ready for you; all you have to do is sign them." KID gestured at the desk in the library, where a new stack of papers sat. "I thought it was best to do it as fast as possible."

"I'm surprised you didn't forge my signature," Shinichi muttered, heading for the desk.

KID gasped melodramatically. "Shin-chan, I'm disappointed in you! You act like…like I'm some sort of criminal!"

He snorted. "You _are_ a criminal, moron." Ignoring KID's scandalous 'Shin-chan! Don't use foul language around Rei-chan!', Shinichi looked over the documents. "These look official enough…Rei Edogawa?"

"I thought it would be less questionable if Rei was already a relative. The Edogawa identity was already established, so I just modified it. You can say he's Conan's little brother."

"Hmm…" It was a good idea. The only problem was figuring out why he was adopted. Perhaps Conan and his family died? Shinichi flinched. Ran would be devastated. So would the kids, then Haibara would dissect him for upsetting them. And it would be an obvious lie to those who knew who Conan really was… Well, he'd figure it out later. Grabbing a pen, Shinichi began signing where it was needed, keeping an eye on KID and Rei all the while.

He wasn't…jealous, necessarily. Even though Rei did seem happier with KID…even though KID did seem better with children…

Okay, so maybe he was jealous.

Putting down his pen, Shinichi just watched KID play keep away with Rei's Usa-chan. They…they looked like a family. Already. While Shinichi had no idea how to do any of this stuff.

As if hearing his thoughts, KID looked up and threw the bunny toy at him. It skid across the desk, disrupting the papers there, before landing in Shinichi's lap. KID gasped, his Cheshire grin in place. "Oh no! Rei-chan, Usa-chan's gone missing!"

Rei made a distressed noise, looking around as if searching for the toy.

"It looks like we need…a detective!" With a flourish, KID stood and pointed at the amused Shinichi. "Tantei-kun! We have heard of your deductive prowess and have come to ask for your help on the case of the missing Usa-chan! Please, Tantei-kun, we are in desperate need of your expertise!"

He might as well play along. Shinichi rested his head on his hand in mock thought. "A missing bunny, huh… Perhaps you're looking for…this one?" With a KID-like smirk, Shinichi showed Rei his toy. The baby squealed with joy.

Bounding over, KID gave Shinichi Rei, who happily retrieved his Usa-chan. KID swooned, his hands over his chest. "My hero!" he crooned. "How could I ever make it up to you?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes at the thief's antics. "Yeah, yeah, your hero," he scoffed. "If you want to make it up to me, then you'll come with me to get some supplies."

KID tilted his head. "Eh? I thought you already got that stuff?"

"I got the bare basics, but you need more than that to raise a baby." Signing the last document with Rei balanced in one arm, Shinichi gave them to KID. "Here."

The papers disappeared in atypical KID fashion. "Thank you, Shin-chan. I'll make sure these are turned in and not focused on too much. And of course I'll help you! We are co-parenting after all! I can't let you do everything!"

Humming his agreement, Shinichi tried to keep Rei's onesie-clad foot out of the baby's mouth. While he looked down, there was a puff of pink smoke and a blue rose was shoved in his face.

"Hi! My name is Kaito Kuroba! It's nice to meet you, co-parent!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Nice alias, KID, but it's a little obvious, don't you think?"

Kaito blinked at Shinichi's reply. He…thought that was an alias? How rude. "This is the real me, Tantei-kun. No mask, no disguise, no aliases. Just you, me, and Rei-chan."

Shinichi stared up at him, Rei forgotten in his arms. "You…trust me?" he whispered, disbelief coloring his voice. "Why? I'm a detective, I've been trying to put you in jail for over a year, but…you trust me with your identity?"

Smirking at the detective, Kaito tucked his thumbs into his jean pockets. "What's life without some risks, Tantei-kun? Besides, I trust you with my life. Why wouldn't I trust you with my identity?"

A blush erupted across Shinichi's face. "Those are two completely different things and you know it!" Kaito was about to feint ignorance when Rei made a distressed noise. Shinichi frowned down at him. "I think he needs to be fed… Here, you feed him while I go take a shower and change."

He took the offered child hesitantly. "Uh…how exactly do I do that?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "There are a few bottles of formula in the fridge. Heat one up for a few seconds, enough so that it's not cold but not actually hot ether. Then just feed it too him. Remember to burp him afterwards; I assume that you know the basics of _that_." Without waiting for a reply, Shinichi left the room, leaving the overgrown man-child with the actual child.

Kaito studied the baby in his arms. He'd…never actually been alone with Rei before. Shinichi was always there, even if he was sleeping. He wanted to bang his head into the wall; of course they had never been alone together, Rei was only a day old! But still…it felt like so much longer. Already, their "happy little accident" had wormed his way into his heart, almost…like…magic… His lips thinned into a line as Rei sniffled. That was definitely something to mention to Akako when she got back to him. But for now… He smiled down at Rei. "Let's get you fed, little man."

Following Shinichi's instructions, Kaito managed to feed Rei half a bottle of formula before he refused to drink anymore, pushing the bottle away every time Kaito held it towards his mouth. Positioning Rei so his head hung over his shoulder, Kaito began lightly patting his back. This was how you burped babies, right? He'd only seen this in TV shows and knew you had to be gentle, but Kaito wasn't entire sure _why_ babies had to be burped. Could they not burp on their own? Was Rei too old to be burped? Too young? While he was busy pondering over the questions, Rei finally burped and something wet splattered onto Kaito's t-shirt.

"Oh, gross!" Kaito stared in dismay at the spit-up on his shoulder and the culprit who put it there. Rei squirmed around unhappily in his arms. "I can't wear this!" he grumbled as he wet a paper towel and cleaned up the remaining liquid from around Rei's mouth. Kaito placed the baby temporarily on the floor and shrugged off his shirt, balling it up so he could keep the spit-up safely on the inside, before picking up Rei again. "Come on, Rei-chan. Let's see if Mommy has another shirt I can use. We're practically the same size."

They trotted up the stairs, Rei entertained by his bunny toy that Kaito had grabbed from the living room. Due to a previous reconnaissance of the house while Shinichi and Rei were still asleep, Kaito knew exactly where the detective's room was. That was the reason Kaito used to convince himself to barge in without knocking. "Hey, Tantei-kun, do you have a spare shirt I can borrow—" His voice suddenly died as Kaito took in what Shinichi was wearing.

Or, more accurately, what he _wasn't_ wearing.

" _Get out!_ " Shinichi covered his dripping wet chest with his arms, leaving his towel to hang around his waist. Kaito's mind stopped working as a violent blush consumed his face. He wasn't… There was so much… Shinichi was so… He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by the door slamming in his face and by Shinichi half-scream of " _Pervert!_ "

Running a hand over his face, Kaito looked down at Rei, who was cuddled against his chest. He tried desperately to forget what had just happened. "Well, that could have gone better."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Shinichi leaned up against the door, a hand pressed over his pounding heart. A blush crept up to his ears as he tried to shake off his embarrassment. What the hell was Kuroba thinking, barging into his room while he was almost naked!? And why was he so embarrassed anyway!?

Straightening, Shinichi pushed his feelings away. Whatever. It didn't matter to him. He dressed quickly, not even drying his hair. He knew KI-Kuroba well enough that he knew the thief was still waiting outside. The pest.

Yanking open the door, Shinichi asked, "What the hell do you want—Where's your shirt?"

He wasn't ogling him. He wasn't.

Kuroba gestured to Rei, who was making grabby-hands at Shinichi. "Rei-chan's mid-day snack disagreed with him. Can I borrow a shirt?"

A sigh escaped. Shinichi stepped back and motioned for Kuroba to come in. As he passed through the door, Kuroba gave Rei to Shinichi, the baby relaxing in his arms. When Kuroba started digging around in his drawers, Shinichi turned on his laptop.

"What are you doing over there?" Kuroba asked. Shinichi didn't look at him. He didn't want to stare—not that he had before!

"I'm looking for baby furniture," Shinichi replied. Rei reached up and tugged on his wet hair, squeaking when a few drops of water plopped on his face. "We can have it delivered straight to the house, so we won't have to carry it ourselves. Plus, this particular store has an option for the furniture to be assembled for us."

A hand lightly touched his shoulder. Shinichi turned to see Kuroba wearing his "I am Sherlocked" t-shirt, a gag gift from Hattori. It was a bit small on the other, emphasizing the thief's well-defined muscles. Shinichi hoped his blush wasn't even worse now. "That's a really good idea, Tantei-kun. But we're not buying everything online, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. I want to be able to see the quality of the store's toys and clothes firsthand. We're just buying the big things here."

Kuroba's breath warmed Shinichi's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. "Very smart of you, Tantei-kun."

"Y-Yeah, whatever."

Together, they managed to pick out plenty of baby furniture for Rei, from car seats and a stroller to a bath seat and latches for babyproofing. They argued about what crib to get him (Kuroba wanted one that could transform into four different kinds of beds, saying that they wouldn't have to buy new beds as Rei grew, while Shinichi just wanted a simple, less complicated one), to which Kuroba allowed Shinichi to win as long as they bought a baby backpack too. Soon enough, the two had all the furniture they thought they'd need, but when Shinichi went to click "Pay for Cart," Kuroba stopped him.

"Are you sure about this, Shin-chan?" he asked. "This…is a lot of money. I'd be happy to pay for half of it—"

Shinichi waved off his complaint. "It's fine. I'm rich and my parents never look at my purchases. I think it makes my mom upset to see that I only spend money on books and coffee."

"I-If you're sure…"

"I am—" Shinichi was cut off by the sudden ring of the doorbell.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Shinichi practically shoved Rei into his arms before forcing Kaito into hiding. The thief scowled as he listened to Shinichi walk down the hall. Rei whimpered and Kaito held him tighter while his other hand gripped his card gun tightly. If it was a leftover member of the Black Organization… he'd move before they could.

The door opened and Shinichi exclaimed, "Ran!?" Kaito relaxed, but only slightly. It could still be a disguise. "What are you doing here?"

"Meguire called me," Ran answered. It was definitely her voice, Kaito realized, unless the Black Organization had access to Agasa's voice-changing technology. "He was worried about you… Something about you saying no to a murder case?"

"Ah! Well… t-that's because…"

Kaito could practically feel Shinichi trying to make an excuse from here. Rolling his eyes, he looked down at Rei. "If you want to start crying, now would be the time." As though he understood, tears instantly formed in Rei-chan's eyes and he let out a low noise of distress. Kaito organized his face into a proper panicked expression before bursting into the hall. "Shinichi!" he shouted as though distressed. He rushed down the hall and held Rei out to him, displaying the baby to Ran's shocked face. A smirk tried to crawl up his face, but he held it down. "Your child needs you!"

Shinichi instantly ignored Ran in favor of Rei and Kaito indulged himself by allowing his smirk to appear in a flash. Shinichi rocked and shushed Rei like a natural parent.

Kaito knew what Ran did to Shinichi. He knew that she had screamed at Shinichi for over an hour when he tried to apologize. How she moved on, dating another man while Shinichi was still Conan. How she broke his heart.

Just the mention of her name set his teeth on edge.

Ran looked at the three of them, confusion evident in her eyes. "Shinichi… who are these people?"

Kaito smiled at her, but his eyes were hard. He held out a hand. "Kaito Kuroba, at your service, Mouri-san." Ran grasped the offered hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last. Shinichi and I met during his 3-year case. And the baby is Shinichi's cousin, Rei Edogawa, now Rei Kudo."

"Edogawa?" she gasped and Kaito got a glimpse at the pain the small mention of her pseudo little brother. "He's Conan's brother? What is he doing here? And what do you mean, he's now Rei Kudo."

"Conan…" Shinichi started, but swallowed and turned his head away. To Kaito, he looked guilty, probably for lying to her, but to people who didn't know the truth about Conan, he looked grief-stricken. "C-Conan and his family… they passed away. In a car crash." Ran inhaled sharply and she clapped a hand over her mouth as tears started to flow down her flushed cheeks. "Only Rei survived."

Ran trembled, shaking with sobs that she tried to keep in. Kaito bowed his head. Okay, so maybe she didn't really deserve this. Shinichi had been gone for a long time and she did love Conan with all of her heart. She wasn't a bad person just because she couldn't keep her life on hold anymore. But these thoughts didn't stop the jealousy curdling in his stomach when Shinichi reached out and touched her shoulder. "W-Was…" she could barely speak, but continued to try. "Was there a funeral?"

"Yes. In America," Shinichi said, apparently making it up on the spot. "It was a…family only affair. But it was very beautiful. Conan would have liked it."

She laughed a little. "Conan would have tried to peek into the caskets… t-to see cause of death…" More tears streamed from her eyes as she sobbed for several more minutes, each second sending another pang of guilt through both the thief and the detective's hearts. "O-Oh, god… I can't believe he's gone…" She sniffled, trying to put herself back together. "A-And you're going to take care of Rei-kun? All by yourself?"

"That's what I'm here for, Mouri-san," Kaito said, placing an arm across Shinichi's shoulders. The detective raised an eyebrow at him while Ran's eyes widened. "Shinichi and I became _very_ close during that case. Of course, I'm going to move in with him to help take care of little Rei-chan."

A very satisfying blush rose up on Ran's cheeks as Shinichi stared up at him, confused. "Oh, yeah…" Shinichi muttered, then shook his head. "Anyway, Ran, we were about to go out shopping for a few things—baby clothes and the like. Do you want to come?"

"A-Ah… no, thank you Shinichi," she stuttered, her lower lip trapped between her teeth. "I need to go… Dad would want to know about Conan… and I… I need some time alone. To deal with it. I'm sorry, Shinichi."

"I understand, Ran."

The two watched her go, both noticing that her crying had started up again. Shinichi made a move to go after her, but Kaito held tight. "She wants to be alone, Tantei-kun," he said. "I know you feel bad, but what else were you going to do? Pretend to be Conan over the phone for months—even years? What happens when she wants "Conan" to come visit?"

"I know, but… I wish I wasn't causing her pain." Shinichi looked down at Rei and ran a hand through the baby's hair. Rei cooed in response. "I'll call her later, just to check on her. Besides, we should get going. Who knows when the stores close?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After about a week of co-parenting together, Shinichi and Kuroba fell into a routine. Shinichi, having woken up several times throughout the night to check on Rei, woke up around noon to discover that Kuroba had broken in hours ago and kept Rei entertained until he awoke. Then Shinichi made lunch—pureed vegetables and a bottle for Rei and sandwiches for them—before going outside to play in the yard or in the park for a few hours before naptime. Kuroba would stay for a bit longer, always leaving before dinner, so Shinichi would bathe Rei and put him to bed again.

Somehow, they managed to go the entire week without anyone they knew meeting Rei—excluding Ran. Even more impressive, no one was murdered when they were out and Inspector Meguire hadn't called him out for a case. So the week, while a bit boring, had become normal.

Which was probably why Shinichi slipped and mentioned Kuroba while on the phone with Hattori.

"Kuroba?" Hattori asked skeptically. "Who tha hell is that!?"

"He's… he's…" Shinichi glanced around frantically, rocking Rei's crib with one hand. "He's helping me… on a case. It's very important." Rei cooed up at him and Shinichi smiled back.

"Ya never mentioned 'im before…" Hattori grumbled. Was that… jealousy in his voice? "What kinda case is it? Anything like yer last one?"

"No, no, it's completely different," Shinichi said, making a funny face so Rei would laugh. In the distance, he heard the front door close. "Looks like he's back. I'll talk to you later, Hattori."

"Yer keepin' secrets, Kudo!" Hattori shouted. Shinichi flinched. "I'm gonna find out what yer keepin' from me no matter what!"

"Goodbye Hattori." Shinichi rolled his eyes and hung up as Kuroba entered the room. He moved aside as Kuroba bee-lined to Rei and scooped him up.

Shinichi observed Kuroba's odd behavior—the man hadn't said a word, something he'd thought impossible. But Kuroba was silent, playing idly with Rei. Finally, Shinichi asked, "What's wrong?"

Kuroba outright flinched, his arms caging Rei to his body before he forcibly relaxed. "Everything's fine, Tantei-kun."

Shinichi narrowed his eyes. "Don't bullshit me—"

"Language—"

"Something's wrong, KID! I like to think you know me well enough to confide in, but if I'm wrong then—"

"Alright!" Kuroba shouted, startling all 3 of them, before continuing, much quieter now. "Alright. You're right. I'm… worried, okay?" He sighed. "I mentioned seeing that witch I know, right?"

"Right…?"

Kuroba tightened his arms around Rei. "Well, she finally got back to me. She's visiting us tonight."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Kaito twitched like a live wire. Every time thunder crashed in the distance, he flinched, unable to stop. Akako would be there any second; he could feel it. The storm came out of nowhere, like magic. Knowing her, it probably was magic, used to make another dramatic entrance.

He'd insisted that Shinichi wait with Rei in the library. Just in case. He still didn't trust Akako not to kill him, and if she did, he wanted—no, he needed—Shinichi to have a chance to escape.

The doorbell rang, echoing through the house. Sighing, Kaito set his poker face firmly in place and opened the door.

Akako stood on the doorstep, perfectly dry despite the downpour around her. She smirked. "Hello, Kuroba-kun. Aren't you going to let me inside?"

His eyes narrowed, but Kaito still held the door open a bit more. She slipped inside, her arm lightly brushing against his. He hid a revolted shiver.

"I did some research on the gem you mentioned," she said, exchanging her boots for house shoes. "The doublet Pandora… it has quite the interesting history. Of course, the chances of you actually having Pandora are extremely thin. I'd like to see it… determine if it's the real thing."

"That's… going to be hard to do. It transformed."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times. "Transformed? Into what?"

"You'll see." Well she hadn't killed him yet… he could only hope the trend was continuous. And Shinichi was relying on him to figure out what happened to create Rei. "Come on… Pandora's in the library with Shinichi."

He moved to leave, but Akako's voice stopped him. "Your assistant, I presume?"

"No," he snapped. "He… he just got caught up in this. Hurry up, will you?"

Kaito led the way, Akako silently following and his heart racing in his chest. He slowly pulled open the library door. Shinichi was waiting on the couch, Rei asleep in his arms. He looked up when they entered and stood, shifting Rei to one arm to shake Akako's hand. "Koizumi-san. I've heard a lot about you. My name is Shinichi Kudo, and this is Rei-kun."

"A pleasure, Kudo-kun," she purred, giving his hand one final squeeze before letting go. An unexplainable shot of jealously clutched Kaito's heart. "May I see this gem you two think is Pandora?"

Shinichi hesitated, so Kaito just ripped of the bandage. "Rei is Pandora."

Eyes wide, Akako was quiet for several seconds before she glared at Kaito. "Hilarious, Kuroba-kun. I almost fell for it. Now, if you could show me the real Pandora? Or did you just summon me for that tasteless prank?"

"He's telling the truth, Koizumi-san," Shinichi told her, face grave. "The jewel in question had belonged to my family for several years. When I tried to give it to Kaito-kun, it… exploded. And in its place was Rei-kun."

She glanced back and forth between the two. "You're… not lying."

"No."

"Why don't you just tell us about Pandora, Koizumi," Kaito cut in. He didn't like the way she was looking at Rei-chan…

"Alright," she replied, tearing her eyes from Rei. "Have you ever heard the legend of Pandora's box?"

"Of course," Kaito scoffed, crossing his arms. "I've been looking for Pandora for nearly 3 years, why wouldn't I know it? Pandora opens a box, and unleashes all the evil onto the world."

"And closes it before hope can escape. That's the simplified version, anyway." Akako sat down in a large armchair, leaving Kaito and Shinichi to take the couch across from her. "From my research, I learned that Pandora was named after that hope because it grants humanities' greatest wish."

"Immortality," Kaito growled. He scowled down at his fists.

"No." Kaito's head jerked up to stare at Shinichi. "It can't be. _I_ certainly don't want to be immortal, same as many people. Unless by immortal you mean remembered, but those are two completely different things no matter how much they're compared. Humanity can't have a single wish; it's impossible."

Akako smiled. "Exactly. Pandora grants wishes that are always different than what the user expects. The immortality rumor came about when one user bragged about not being able to be killed after several assassination attempts failed. He later died after falling in front of a carriage but still the rumor continued."

"How do you know all this?" Kaito asked, then snapped his fingers in realization. "Wait, I know! Your "friend" Lucifer!"

"Beelzebub, actually," she sneered. "Pandora's never done anything like this before… it's granted everything from money to happiness, but… the only explanation I can think of is that one, or both, of you wanted a family more than anything else."

Kaito blinked once. Then again. That… couldn't be right, could it? Sure he'd always wanted a family, how could he not, but wasn't catching Snake more important?

"But why did it happen when we touched?" Shinichi asked. "I can admit, I've wanted a family for a while, but why didn't it change any of the other times I touched it. Why Kuroba and I?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps you two were determined to be compatible parents. Perhaps he's just the only person you touched while holding the gem. The results are still the same." Her eyes returned to Rei, still sleeping in Shinichi's arms. "May I… hold him?"

Kaito frowned. "No. Why?"

"Is it so odd to assume that I'd like to make sure there haven't been any negative side effects?" Akako asked. "Not only did he not have a normal birth, but Pandora's _magic_. We have no idea what extended exposure to do to you."

"Alright," Shinichi said. He handed Rei over to her, much to Kaito's displeasure. The moment Rei left Shinichi's arms, he woke. Akako held him away from her body as she studied him, her stare hard and unwavering. Kaito could almost see red sparks dancing on the silk of her blouse. Rei whined, looking around until he spotted them a few feet away. He wailed, tears streaming down his chubby face as he reached for them. Kaito felt his chest tighten at the sight. "Give him back," Shinichi demanded, rather angry considering he was the one to give him to her.

She gave Rei back without fuss and Shinichi immediately began comforting him. "It's just as I thought," she said. "I noticed it last week, but I had to be sure… he's affecting the both of you."

"What are you talking about?" Kaito demanded. He angled his body so he was between her and Shinichi.

"He's altering your emotions. Not much, from what I can tell, but enough that you'll feel compelled to stay with him, take care of him, stay together."

"That's it," Shinichi breathed. Kaito could faintly feel his warm breath on the back of his neck. "I kept wondering… he was, well _born,_ in such an unnatural way… and I barely freaked out. It didn't seem right, but there was never any panic… not about that anyway…"

So Shinichi had panicked over something else? Curious.

"That's correct. It seems to be a self-defense mechanism and it's only affecting you two, so don't worry. I don't think it's conscious or even permanent, but you should still be aware."

"Thank you, Koizumi-san."

"If there's anything else, then I'll take my payment now," she said, standing. Kaito's stomach sunk. "Kuroba-kun, if you will?"

"Fine," he bit out. Walking over to her, he quickly pressed his lips to hers. It was cold, clinical. He didn't even bother to close his eyes.

Jerking back, he watched her reaction, waited for some magic to take effect on him. But nothing happened. Her eyes, usually hard as rubies, softened for a moment. A disappointed looked flashed across her face before she settled on a sad smile. Why would she be sad? "That will be all, Kuroba-kun. Farewell."

As Akako left, Kaito couldn't help but feel as though he'd missed something important.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Come on, Rei-chan, eat your peas…"

Kuroba held the spoon closer to Rei's mouth, but the baby wasn't having any of it. He leaned as far back in his carrier as he could with his hands over his mouth, staring suspiciously at Kuroba. Shinichi hid his smile behind his coffee cup as Kuroba tried to get Rei to eat, sharing a glance with the waitress who was trying to take their orders. Kuroba had yet to notice she was there, but fortunately there were only a few other patrons.

It had been Kuroba's idea to go out today to try and get Rei used to other people. Though, Shinichi thought, it was possible that he just wanted to get his mind off Koizumi-san's visit. In that case, Shinichi couldn't blame him.

With a wild swing of his hand, Rei knocked the spoon from Kuroba's hand, splattering the peas across the table. Shinichi chocked on his laugh as Kuroba pouted and cleaned up the mess with the disposable napkins. "Sorry about that," Shinichi told the waitress, "We'll clean that up."

She laughed. "It's not a problem; you're hardly the first couple to have a messy child. What can I get you today?"

Shinichi's cheeks flushed bright red—they weren't a couple! Just as Shinichi opened his mouth to correct her, a scream rang out.

He rushed to the back of the restaurant, the waitress close behind him. A women—one of the other customers—had fallen to the floor, her face stuck in terror, her eyes glued to the corpse that lay on the floor of the women's bathroom. Sighing, Shinichi closed the door, cutting the corpse off from any contamination and called the police. Honestly, couldn't they have just one family outing? Just one?

Shinichi stopped short. Did he just call Kuroba… family?

 **A/N: there was more to this, but I didn't want to write another "introducing Rei to everyone" scene.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Coming!" Kaito shouted at the doorbell as he rushed to open the door. He was pretty much living in Kudo mansion now; Shinichi had given him a room right next to Rei's since he rarely left. Opening the door, Kaito almost slammed it in Hattori's face. He barely resisted.

"Kudo!" Hattori cried, grin stretching across his face.

"Wrong," Kaito said. He turned around and left Tantei-han standing in the parlor, puzzled.

Shinichi appeared around at the end of the hall. "Kaito?" That was another thing that had changed. Shinichi had started calling him by his first name after Rei's first time in a restaurant. Not that Kaito was complaining, but it was still odd, considering it had started just after the detective had solved another murder. "Who was at the—Hattori!? What are you doing here?"

"Kudo!? But… What…!? How da 'ell are there two of ya!?"

Kaito scoffed, rolling his eyes. He wrapped his arm around Shinichi, the detective tensing up slightly underneath him. "Kaito Kuroba. I'm his boyfriend." He ignored the narrowing of Shinichi's eyes in favor of savoring the shaken expression on Hattori's face. "Pleasure to meet you… Hattori-san, was it?"

Hattori bristled, but before he could speak, Shinichi said, "Hattori, do you mind waiting for us in the library? We'll make some tea." Kaito knew his smile was strained.

"Sure Kudo." Hattori gave them one last suspicious glance (ok, that glance was more at Kaito than Shinichi, but they were so close together that it looked like both) before leaving. Once he was down the hall, Shinichi elbowed Kaito in the side.

"Ow!"

"What was that, Kaito!?" Shinichi hissed. "You just can't go around telling people you're my boyfriend!"

"Well, what was I supposed to say?" Kaito replied, face stony. "That I'm the other father to our magic rock baby? Me being your boyfriend is the simplest explanation."

Shinichi ground his teeth. "You need to mention these things beforehand, Kaito. Besides, what if I want to date someone else, huh? Did you even think about that?"

Kaito flinched back like he was slapped. "Whatever," he scoffed. "Go entertain Hattori. I'll make your stupid tea."

"Fine." Whirling around, Shinichi stalked out of the room, Rei waving at him as they went. Kaito half-hearted waved back.

It didn't take long to make the tea. As Kaito hesitated outside the library door, he overheard Hattori say, "So, Kudo, where'd ya get that baby from?"

"Oh… He… He was a child of one of the Black Organization members." Kaito blinked in surprise. That's what he was going with? He wouldn't complain as long as it worked, but… "Both parents were arrested, but he… he was just going to go into the system and I couldn't… he's just a kid, Hattori."

"It's alright, Kudo." Hattori was sounding way too chummy with Shinichi. "I mean, ya did adopt 'im. He ain't gonna turn out wrong with ya as a parent. Now, that other guy though… ya sure ya want to be keepin' 'im around?"

"Kaito's… kind." Kaito perked up at his name. "He's really good with Rei, so good that sometimes I forget whose name is on the adoption certificate. And he does care, Hattori. I trust him."

"But, Kudo—"

"I have tea!" Kaito proclaimed, bursting into the room with the tea tray in his hands. He ignored Hattori's glare at him in favor of blasting Shinichi with a brilliant smile and putting the tray on the end table. Picking up Rei, who squealed with joy, Kaito sat next to Shinichi, their thighs touching. Kaito smiled at Hattori, though it looked more like a snarl. "So, Hattori-han, how long are you going to be in Tokyo? Here on business?"

Hattori narrowed his eyes. "Nah, just wanted ta visit Kudo 'ere. Wasn't expectin' 'im to have one of 'is guest rooms bein' used already."

"Oh, don't worry. All the guest rooms are free." Kaito smiled easily, enjoying the way Hattori seemed to be choking on air.

"Yeah, that's right." Shinichi agreed, clueless. "Why don't you stay a few days, Hattori? We could use an extra pair of hands around here."

"S-Sure, Kudo," Hattori said, coughing. "Yeah, I'd love ta hang around 'ere for a while, if ya don't mind."

Kaito's arms tightened around Rei, nowhere close enough to hurt him. "Of course we don't mind. Stay as long as you like, Hattori-han," Kaito said through gritted teeth.

Hattori's eyes gleamed with challenge. "Then thank ya very much, Kuroba."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It took Shinichi nearly an hour shake off Hattori and by that time, the KID heist was already over. He sighed as he waded through the leaving crowd, Rei strapped to his chest with a baby harness. Honestly, he wouldn't have invited Hattori over if he knew he'd be so clingy, but it was too late to kick him out. He felt a little guilty about leaving Hattori, but he'd make it up to him later… maybe they could all go out to dinner tomorrow?

Shinichi started climbing the stairs to the museum just as Hakuba started walking down. They froze in place, staring at each other. Shinichi was panicking internally; Hakuba had never met him before, not as Shinichi, so why was Hakuba looking at him like that, like he was a criminal!? He kept his face blank and continued up, coming face to face with Hakuba. Shinichi resisted the urge to cross his arms since Rei was in the way.

"Can I help you?" Shinichi asked.

Hakuba narrowed his eyes. "Sorry, you just look like someone I know from my high school. Could I have your name?"

"Shinichi Kudo, Detective of the East."

He enjoyed the way Hakuba's eyes widened. Why was Hakuba so surprised? The other had heard of him before, Hakuba had been his replacement at that one murder mystery mansion with KID—that's it! Kuroba had mentioned knowing Hakuba before, he must have mistaken Shinichi for Kaito!

Hakuba stretched his hand out. Shinichi shook it. "Saguru Hakuba, Tantei-san. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Kudo-kun."

"The pleasure is all mine, Hakuba-kun. My cousin, Conan, told me a lot about you. Your deductions during the Twilight Palace case were quite impressive." God forbid Kaito, or worse Hattori, ever hear him compliment the English detective, but it was the truth. And after all he's done, Shinichi wanted to lie as little as possible.

The other blushed. "Ah, t-thank you, Kudo-kun. Hattori-kun speaks highly of you. But from what I've read, you've never shown an interest in thieves before." He tilted his head. "What are you doing here? And with a… child no less."

"Oh!" Shinichi placed a hand on Rei's head and he cooed before grabbing it. "This is my adopted son, Rei. I'm actually here to take someone home."

"And who would that be—"

"Shiiinnn-chan!" Exiting the museum, Kaito bolted towards him, shoving past Hakuba to hug him. Shinichi patted his back awkwardly—despite having faked their "relationship" in front of Hattori, he felt uncomfortable displaying so much affection in public. And Rei was trapped in between them, so in order not to crush him, they left space that made hugs difficult. "I was hoping to see you chase KID tonight! What happened, where were you!?"

"Sorry, Kaito," the informality of the name felt like glue in his mouth, but Shinichi continued. Why was it easier to say it in his head than out loud? "I got held up by Hattori."

Kaito groaned. "Why did we let him stay with us again?" He turned his attention to Rei. "How's my little man? You driving your daddy crazy?" Shinichi blushed as Kaito continued to play with Rei, even giving him Usa-chan despite Shinichi being positive that he'd left the toy at home. That was the first time Kaito had referred to Shinichi as a father instead of some variation of mother. Warmth flooded his chest even though he knew it was only because Hakuba was present.

Speaking of Hakuba… "Kuroba!?" He shouted, finally recovered from his shock. "What are you… How do you know Kudo-kun!?"

Huffing, Kaito stuck his tongue out at the stuffy detective. "I'm his _boyfriend_. Honestly, and you call yourself a detective!"

The warmth Shinichi felt spread to the rest of his body and he blushed, recognizing the feeling. Oh no.

 _Oh no._

It was exactly how he felt towards Ran before being shrunk into Conan.

 _Shit._

 **A/N: If you haven't voted for your favorite Kaishin Drabble, the poll will still be up until March 24** **th** **, 2017, 11:59 PM .**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Aoko just feels like Kaito's been avoiding Aoko lately… he's always busy, never answering Aoko's calls or hanging out with her…"

Kaito sighed and set down his "more sugar than coffee" coffee. He'd been expecting this ever since Aoko outright demanded that Kaito treat her to the new bakery in Ekoda. He had barely been able to find it with how much time he has been spending in Beika. Aoko gave him a concerned look from her side of the table. "I haven't been avoiding you, I'm just… busy." He looked away. He really wasn't going to enjoy this. "I… met someone."

"Oh?" And wasn't that the most heartbreaking sound Kaito'd ever heard. He didn't want to continue.

But he knew it needed to be said, more for her sake than his. Because even if Shinichi and Rei didn't exist, he couldn't keep her hanging like this, not like with how long Shinichi lied, and was still lying, to Mouri-chan. She hated KID more than anyone he'd ever met, more than police officers, more than her _father_. And if she ever found out… "Yeah. I've been spending a lot of time with him recently, helping out and such. He's needed a lot."

For once, Aoko seemed to struggle with words. Her face was caught between misery and a forced smile. "He? I guess… that explains it… Is he nice to Kaito?"

"Sometimes. He's nice all the time but he doesn't like to show it." Meitantei was such a tsundere like that. "He's reckless though, always chasing after criminals in the name of justice. A detective, you know?"

"You're dating a detective? After all the grief you've given Hakuba-kun?" she snorted and Kaito hid a smile.

"Hey, Hakuba's annoying! My detective… he's brilliant. Strong and a little awkward, but the cleverest man you'll ever meet. He's… he's like the sun." There were eyes on him, somewhere outside the bakery. Kaito didn't let on that he knew they were watching, plastering on a smile.

"You sound like you really care about him, Kaito."

He reached out across the table to grab her hands. "I do. And I want you and the old man to meet him… and his kid." Aoko's head jerked up in surprise. "He's a little baby, less than a year old, and his family died in a car crash." It was better to get the story out there as much as possible, what with the Kudos having already made death certificates for Conan and his mother and father. "My detective was the only relative who'd adopt little Rei-kun and I've been helping look after him." He squeezed. "Please meet him, Aoko."

"O-Ok. But I reserve the right not to like him if he's rude, BaKaito!"

He couldn't help it. He laughed.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Seriously though, Kudo, what da 'ell do ya see in 'im?"

Sighing, Shinichi looked up from Rei and at Hattori, who loomed over him, the dim lights in the library casting dark shadows over his face. He set Rei safely on the floor to face him completely. "You've asked this before and again, I don't see how that's any of your business, Hattori."

He wanted to hit Kaito. Why did he have to tell Hattori that they were _dating_ of all things!? Sure, it might be the simplest explanation (and the one easiest to remember in the heat of the moment, what with Kaito practically living with him), but he kept getting _questions_. Specifically from Hattori; he was getting questions about why they were dating, or how they met, or how long they've been together. It was annoying.

Hattori huffed and crossed his arms. "It's just we've been friends forever—" Shinichi rolled his eyes—"And then all of a sudden this guy comes outta nowhere without ya ever mentionin' 'im before and now yer datin'. Just strikes me as a little suspicious, that's all."

Damn Hattori. Of all times to be perceptive… At least it was only about his 'relationship' and not Rei. Still, he didn't want Hattori asking to many questions. He may be Shinichi's best friend, but he needed lessons from Kaito on how to keep a secret. Shinichi narrowed his eyes. "Have you ever considered I didn't tell you because I knew you'd react like this!?" He didn't mean to shout, but… it just came out that way.

Hattori reeled back, as if stuck. "K-Kudo!?"

Shinichi gave him the best 'I'm-hurt' look he could pull off. "I know that you were expecting me to end up with Ran and that two men are a little… unconventional, but I expected better of you, Hattori. I… I guess I was wrong…"

"No, Kudo, it's not that!" Alarmed, Hattori grabbed him by the arm. "Trust me, I 'ave no problem with ya likin' guys. But… why'd it 'ave ta be this one?"

Tilting his head at Hattori, Shinichi smiled a bit wistfully. "I don't know," he said, honestly. "He just dropped into my life and swept me up in a whirlwind of chaos and magic."

Hattori frowned at the analogy, but his jaw dropped as he looked behind Shinichi. "Kudo, yer kid's crawlin'!"

"What!?" Whirling around, Shinichi saw Rei scooting on his belly towards the bookshelves, using his feet to propel him forward. He fumbled for his phone to take a video. Oh, Kaito was going to die knowing he missed this!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Lying on the library couch, reading, Kaito kept a subtle eye on Hattori. He was holding Rei in his lap, reading him an Agatha Christie novel, like the irresponsible adult he was. Who read murder mysteries to babies? It's incredibly irresponsible.

He solidly ignored the fact that Shinichi had read Rei Sherlock Holmes not two days ago.

Anyway, as Kaito was trying to glare a hole in Hattori's head every other word, Hattori got tired of it and slammed the book shut. He matched Kaito's glare. "What do ya want?" he asked.

"For you to leave," Kaito said, crossing his arms. "Why are you still here, anyway? We were just fine without you."

"I'm 'ere to protect Kudo from ya!" Hattori snarled back.

"So you are trying to get in between us!" He knew it!

"'Course I am! Do ya 'ave any idea how long he and Nee-chan were in love for? An' then ya just come outta nowhere an' suddenly ya and him are raisin' a kid together! How am I now supposed to get suspicious with that!?" Hattori stood and leaned over him. Any intimidation he could have gained was lost because of the baby in his arms. "Does he even know yer Kaitou KID!?"

Kaito flinched back. "I'm not KID!" Came the automatic response.

Hattori snorted. "I'm notta idiot, Kuroba. I've been watchin' ya, done ma research. I even talked to that Hakuba bastard. But da question is, does Kudo? Or are ya just usin' him ta get ta some jewel or somethin'!?"

All the shouting had taken its toll and Rei burst into tears. Kaito snatched him from Hattori's arms, holding the baby close and rubbing his back soothingly. "I'm not using Shinichi," he said, more to Rei than to Hattori. "I do… care about him. Whether he knows or not isn't any of your business, but I'm not here to hurt him." He looked up at Hattori. "I'm going to stay. There is nothing you can do to make me leave. And that's a promise."

 **A/N: Sorry all these are super short, but really, I just wanna get to the scene that inspired me to take this prompt to begin with, and that's at the very end, so…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **Warning: Homophobic slurs said in this chapter**

Shinichi felt like his head had been cracked open.

His brow furrowed before relaxing. He didn't want anyone to know he was awake yet, not even Kaito. He doubted Kaito was behind his current condition though; the pounding in his head felt too much like a concussion for it to be anything else and, when he tried to shift his arms, he could barely move, thick ropes holding him in place. Judging by the disproportionate weight on his bottom, he'd been tied sitting upright in a chair, hands tied to the armrests.

So no, this definitely wasn't one of Kaito's pranks.

What happened? The last thing he remembered was planning Rei's birthday with Ran; he was turning 1 soon and even though he didn't see much of a point—it's not like Rei would remember it—but Kaito insisted. He'd just left to go buy a cake when—

A door shuddered open and Shinichi fell limp, his breath slowing as though asleep. Two pairs of footsteps approached him. "Damn, he still out? I thought he would've woken up by now."

"Goddamn faggot," another one spat. "Can't even take a tap on the head. You'd think KID'd pick one that could put up more of a fight."

"Maybe he likes 'em that way," the first said. "Doesn't matter. Snake said to take 'im up even if he's still unconscious. Come on; I'll grab his legs while you get the top."

He'd heard enough. Eyes flying open, Shinichi didn't hesitated to kick the henchman between the legs as he thrust his head back into the nose of the other.

No way would he let them use him against Kaito. Not ever.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Kaito felt nothing but dread as he crept through the ventilation of the building he tracked Shinichi to. The police were several floors below him, kicking ass and taking names as they arrested every member of this organization while looking for Shinichi. But if the glasses Agasa-san made were correct—and they should be, since Haibara had injected the tracker underneath Shinichi's skin—he should be on this floor.

Kicking out the vent, KID dropped to the floor, card-gun drawn. No doubt Snake would be with him, he thought with a curl of his lip. If Snake even _touched_ Shinichi, if there was so much as a hair missing, he wouldn't be held responsible for his actions.

Rei deserved to have both of his parents in his life.

Creeping down the hall towards Shinichi's blinking dot, KID didn't encounter anyone. Suspicious. Was it a trap? He snorted. Of course it was a trap, he's known that from the beginning. What was waiting for him at the end?

Glass shattered and a long string of curses were muffled by a door at the end of the hall. Exactly where Shinichi was supposed to be. Steeling himself, KID pressed up against the wall beside it.

"Damn it!" _Crash_! "Send all remaining men to the fourth and fifth floors! Try and carve out an escape route."

It was Snake. KID sneered. Silently, he turned the doorknob and peeking inside.

Snake was pacing back and forth, belting orders into his walkie-talkie. Shinichi was in there with him, tied to a wooden chair and blood dripping down his face, slack with unconsciousness. KID's blood boiled.

"Shit!" Snake smashed his walkie-talkie on the ground to join the shattered glass. "How the hell did they know we were here!? The police shouldn't even know we exist, unless…" He turned to Shinichi and KID readied his card gun before sneaking into the room, out of sight. "You… you did something, didn't you!?" Snake snarled at Shinichi's body. "Of course, I should have just killed you to begin with—"

He heard enough, KID decided as he struck. Seconds later, Snake was unconscious on the floor and Kaito was cradling Shinichi's face. "Shinichi? Shinichi, are you alright?"

Shinichi groaned, his eyes flickering open, unfocused and hazy. "K-Kaito…?"

A relieved smile crossed Kaito's face and he pressed a kiss to Shinichi's forehead. "I'm here," he reassured as he freed Shinichi from his bonds. "It's okay now, I'm here, and you're okay."

"I know," Shinichi said before kissing him passionately.

 **A/N: And next chapter is the epilogue! I'm super excited for this.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Epilogue**

 **15 Years Later**

The door's lock fell apart under his fingers. Creeping inside, Spade the Phantom Thief scanned the hallway cautiously, his eyes resting on the deactivated camera before moving on. The blueprints of the Sakura Institute he'd studied indicated that the Eternal Sapphire would be farther in, close to the center of this floor. Spade smirked. Easy pickings.

Sneaking down the hall, Spade didn't notice the man following him until a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He stiffened and, whirling around, punched his attacker in the face.

His father caught him by the wrist.

He paled behind his mask. Despite having not been active for over a decade, Kaitou KID made an impressive figure, standing tall and bright against the greys and black of shadow. His mouth was pressed into a thin line and Spade smiled uneasily. "Hey—Hey Dad," he stuttered.

Kaito Kuroba's visible eye narrowed. "Rei Kudo." Rei flinched. "What do you think you're doing?"

Rei had never heard his father sound so serious. He glanced down the hall towards jewel. "Can we… talk about this at home? Please?"

"Why? Are you afraid the police will discover us?" Rei flinched again. "Do you have any idea how worried we were when we discovered you out of bed!?" Kaito's voice was steadily rising. "Shinichi nearly had a panic attack until I realized you were the new thief on the scene!"

"Dad, can you be just a little quieter—"

"Why? I thought you wanted a confrontation with the police! That's what your _heist notice_ said, isn't it?"

"Dad, can you not—"

"Freeze, criminal!" A few meters down the hall, Hakuba-Keibu kicked down the door, a scowl on her face. Aunt Aoko when she saw Kaito standing there with Rei, the later praying she didn't recognize them. He didn't think _she'd_ be here! "K-Kaitou KID!? What—!?"

"Hakuba-keibu," Kaito said civilly. With a snap of his fingers, Rei found his arms tied to his sides and a rag in his mouth. He huffed and rolled his eyes. Showboat. "It's a pleasure to see you again. I'd like to formally for my child's behavior."

"C-Child!?"

"Yes, my son." Uh-oh. Rei knew that tone. He was dead. "Who decided to perform this foolishness _after being explicitly told not to. Several times._ " Totally dead. Kaito bowed, shoving Rei's head down too. "If you'll excuse us, I need to take him home, where his mother is waiting to punish him. Severely."

Aoko's eyes widened. "Wait! You're under—!" The hall filled with smoke, some getting down her throat and she started coughing. When it cleared, the two were gone. "—arrest. Shit."

Slouched his in armchair, Rei did his best not to look at his dads sitting across from him. Kaito still had that irritated look on his face, though he'd changed out of his KID outfit. It was Shinichi Rei was really worried about. His Papa looked completely calm, quietly sipping coffee out of a mug. He sighed and set the drink on the coffee table with a slight clink. "Rei… what were you thinking?" Rei swallowed as Shinichi looked at him in disappointment. "Do have any idea how dangerous your "heist" was? How close you came to being arrested?"

"I would have been fine if you hadn't sent Dad after me!" Rei snapped. He immediately regretted it.

"Really?" Kaito bit back. "You could have gotten past the motion detectors, the infrared lasers, the numerous police men and women searching the floors? You didn't even properly disarm the cameras; they were all still on!"

"That's not the point, Kaito." Shinichi pinched the bridge of his nose. "The point is you disobeyed us. The reason we told you about KID is because we thought you wouldn't do something like… _this!_ " He gestured to Rei's outfit, which he'd spent the last three months of his allowance on.

"You could have been shot!" Kaito exclaimed. "Or worse: arrested!"

Rei slouched in his seat, crossing his arms. It's just… he's always heard stories about how great Kaitou KID was. From Suzuki-san and Hattori-san… even Saguru-san admitted to having fun at his heists. And then he learned that one of his dads was _the_ Kaitou KID! That he was descended from thief royalty! A legacy! How was he supposed to let that down!? "I… I just wanted to do something important. Like you two. You're the famous magician-detective power couple, and I'm… just your kid." He rubbed his arms. "I-I know it's pretty stupid, but… I wanted to be important too."

Kaito's eyes softened. "Rei-chan…"

He peeked at Kaito from the corner of his eyes. Was he cracking…?

"Stop trying to manipulate your father, Rei. You're still grounded. In fact, I think you just graduated yourself up to working on cold cases with me."

Damn it! Rei glared at his Papa. "Oh, come on! That's not fair, this isn't even the worse thing I could have done!" He pouted. "You at like you've never done anything stupid before!"

"So you admit that what you've done is stupid."

Rei glared at his Papa. He wasn't going to dignify that with a response.

Kaito nudged Shinichi with his elbow. "You seem to have forgotten… didn't you do something "stupid" when you were his age?"

Rei perked up. He'd never heard about this before!

"How could I forget?" Shinichi smiled wistfully at Kaito. "It's how I met you after all."

Rolling his eyes at the parental affection, Rei immediately latched onto the change in subject. "You know… you've never told me the story of how you met…"

"No."

"I've already told him about the skeletons in my closet, Shinichi, it's time for you to do the same."

"Not when he's just using it to try and get out of being grounded." He looked at Rei. "Which you are, by the way. For the next 2 months, there will be no after school activities, no soccer practice, no drama club, nothing. And you're going to be helping me at work the entire time too."

Rei wanted to groan, but instead nodded earnestly. "Fine, fine, now will you tell me?"

"Alright. Well, it all started when I was 16. Your Aunt Ran had just won a karate championship and I was taking her to Tropical Land as a reward…"

 **Fin**

 **A/N: The End. This chapter didn't come out as dramatic as I had hoped and Shinichi and Kaito seem a bit too strict, but then again, Rei was trying to be a thief without any real reason. Considering how Kaito had gotten shot being Kaitou KID… well, it seems like a parent's worst nightmare.**


End file.
